tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84873430744848844742012-01-09T13:28:01.849-08:00T'ai Chi Ch'uan MusingsTo understand the meaning of a concept that you read you must explore each word on it's own, see it as it was when it was a living concept before it was taken and put into written words. Only when it becomes alive to you can you own the feeling the true Tao in it.
"This holds true for this simple blog"Francisconoreply@blogger.comBlogger291100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-54216179185698663702011-06-11T08:17:00.000-07:002011-06-11T08:17:39.895-07:00A Matter of Fact: <!--[if gte mso 10]>
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mso-ansi-language:Francisconoreply@blogger.com01474 N Van Ness Ave, Fresno, CA 93728, USA36.762718 -119.798637999999982.684621 -179.56426299999998 70.84081499999999 -60.03301299999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-24457100800143436812011-04-16T14:20:00.000-07:002011-04-16T14:24:22.094-07:00Practice the PositivePeople who have success do not participate in negative thingsThey do not start with a negative mind set.Nor do they practice things that lead a negative out come.Always judge your failures with the same temperament as your successes.Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-69727282255389433732011-04-09T09:41:00.000-07:002011-04-09T10:07:33.500-07:00Master Benjamín Lo TeachingsThese teaching points have been compiled through decades of personal experience of Master Lo's teachings. They are not published per se in any other book or publication, either in Chinese or English to my knowledge, though any article or interview with Master Lo would naturally reflect similar content.
1. The Power of Zero
Ben told us, after demonstrating his usual total ease in moving, Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-89746704151245618232011-04-09T09:32:00.000-07:002011-04-09T09:32:42.558-07:00Five principles of good Tai Chi Ch'uan skills Benjamin Pang Jeng Lo
Five principles of good Tai Chi Ch'uan skills
An interview with Mr. Benjamin Lo of San Francisco.
Five basic principles for the development of good Tai Chi Ch'uan skills, emphasized by Mr. Benjamin Lo, are: 1) Relaxation. 2) Separating Ying from Yang. 3) Turning the waist. 4) Keeping the body upright. And 5) Maintaining the hand like a beautiful lady s hand.
Lo, who teaches in the San Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-25364522644648008342011-04-09T09:17:00.000-07:002011-04-09T09:17:23.788-07:00Ben Lo Workshop Waukesha, WIBen Lo Workshop Benjamin Lo Workshop, May 27-30, 2011Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-80405222216557262922011-03-25T15:55:00.001-07:002011-03-25T15:55:10.139-07:00ZeroGive zero no matter how much your opponent applies you only give zero. My idea at this point in time is to give him nothing he can use or follow. Hide your intentions and wait until he is committed. I think this will not mean that you give on interal effort only that you hide it be alert for you opportunities. Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-6797696764065764362011-03-05T07:52:00.001-08:002011-03-05T07:52:51.352-08:00When to let goI have come to realize many things as the years come and go... Recently I have discovered that happiness lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on and knowing the exact moment of when to do so!
-Tiffany McGill-Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-64185161580823955322011-02-05T07:22:00.000-08:002011-02-05T07:23:40.048-08:00NeutralizingA mighty storm is not stopped by a greater storm but only made more destructive.
Only the constant gentle warmth of the sun ever yielding will overcome the fury and neutralizes its power into nothingness
Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-76369491049411128052011-01-24T06:43:00.000-08:002011-01-24T06:43:56.055-08:00Just Do or Do NotIt takes a split second to react and a life time to think about reacting. If the mind is calm and the body centered reaction and thought become one.Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-84305916448937016792011-01-23T10:26:00.000-08:002011-01-23T10:33:51.722-08:00MasteringIn anything you wish to master you must understand the following concept:
The teacher can opens the door, but you must take the step to walk the road and do the work road.
A teacher can guide you or suggest an avenue to explore but you have to rely on your own intelligence and hard work.
All of the students are given the same tools in a good school; the use of those tools is up to the Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-34255320091176240782011-01-22T07:56:00.000-08:002011-01-22T08:04:59.331-08:00WUDE
In Chinese, martial morality is called Wude.
There are two aspects of wude: 1. Morality of deed2. Morality of mind.
Morality of deeds includes: humility, respect, righteousness, trust and loyalty
Morality of mind includes: will, endurance, perseverance, patience and courage.Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-31108469276202284772011-01-21T17:55:00.000-08:002011-01-21T17:55:02.827-08:00Applications
If you seek the application of a posture you will miss the 10,000 or more application within it.
White Craine.
1. staning on right foot right hand above head left hand gaurding low (a block) ... well ok
a. how about as right had goes up a picking up a kick throwing the attacker.
b. right hand going up clearing an incoming punch, spreading or turning your attacker (depending on which hand Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-73291719646782192132011-01-21T17:48:00.000-08:002011-01-21T17:48:41.784-08:00Point of ChangeA great teacher said this the other night and it was insightful.
It is as follows:
When the sun reaches its height of the day then that minuscule moment it passes evening has started but it has yet not arrive in fullness but no longer is it day but a transformation of what it was into what it will become.
Seek this point in transitions while doing form and the gateway to the miraculous will Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-45325335648197438742010-10-23T09:15:00.000-07:002010-10-23T09:16:14.764-07:00KindnessA drop of kindness can sweeten a bitter dayFrancisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-31211406141409373002010-08-07T21:29:00.000-07:002010-08-07T21:33:50.269-07:00A good teacher is a good teacherWhat a unique environment is created when a student enters a martial arts school with an accomplished teacher. The student will be in awe of the teachers ability; a student will even go to great length to try get the teacher to reveal his secret, what made him so good and so powerful in his art. Yet all along the teacher has done nothing more than what he asks his student to do and that is to Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-68562801760544795072010-07-17T10:07:00.000-07:002011-01-21T17:39:19.882-08:00To quiet the mindTo quiet the mind does not mean to be void of thought, but to be filled with a positive thought/feeling that is both passive and active but not busy.
Busy thoughts are always thoughts about things that need to be done, events that had negative impacts on you as a person, relationship troubles. The mind races and the adrenaline is pumping from these thoughts the body is affected and the mind, theFrancisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-67509109311090617992010-07-11T12:50:00.001-07:002010-07-11T12:56:02.510-07:00Mastering an artMastering an art requiresPerseverance StudyThe right systemThe right teachera2a_linkname="Tai Chi Musings";a2a_linkurl="http://taichimusings.blogspot.com/";a2a_onclick=1;a2a_show_title=1;a2a_hide_embeds=0;Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-74409936293972959022010-05-21T20:55:00.000-07:002011-01-10T22:11:49.729-08:00Seeking outside yourself
Many Taiji player are always looking for the next short cut or that teacher who will give them the secret to mastering Taiji Chuan even if they have heard it over and over from their teacher deep inside they think "It can't be that easy to master Taiji."
To master Taiji it is easy as the following:
1. Practice
2. Relax
Practice twice a day everyday without fail and you will gain great Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-21758113626632370572009-11-30T18:47:00.000-08:002009-11-30T18:50:13.444-08:00On day in ancient Greece, an acquaintance met the great philosopher Socrates and said. Socrates, do you know what I just heard about your friend? Hold on a minute, Socrates replied. Before telling me anything, I’d like you to pass a little test. It’s called the Triple Filter Test. Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-13526706276767077762009-07-05T21:30:00.001-07:002009-07-05T21:30:49.222-07:00Master Lee said "Be Like Water My Friend"Exploring that leads me to a point of view, water is tangible, it can be held together can mold to anything nothig is as yeilding until you consider air. Air not as tangible but stil all around us yeilding and reforming constantly.I think the reason Master Lee said water is we are about 75% water so it is something we can relate to and air is something we Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-58835741589376706942009-06-19T07:48:00.000-07:002009-06-19T07:57:03.956-07:00Posture QualityThe quality you have in standing meditation should be maintained in every posture you hold then it should be maintained as you move in the form. Always having that stacked rooted and relaxed alive body and calm mind.Begin by doing your standing mediation daily and observing the feeling of that practice the quality it cultivates. Once you start to gain depth standing then move on to holding Francisconoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-15693855747518054792009-05-23T15:55:00.000-07:002009-05-23T15:56:44.846-07:00ExcellenceExcellence is not a singular act, but a habit. You are what you repeatedly do.a2a_linkname="Tai Chi Musings";a2a_linkurl="http://taichimusings.blogspot.com/";a2a_onclick=1;a2a_show_title=1;a2a_hide_embeds=0;Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-91841706066948516432009-05-18T09:49:00.000-07:002009-05-18T09:54:39.829-07:00The True BattleThe pursuit of your art and mastery is all contingent on one aspect, your ability to give into a total spiritual experience of your self at every moment and be open to all the possibilities and able to express full potential.The true battle lies inside the soul only there can you master your art.a2a_linkname="Tai Chi Musings";a2a_linkurl="http://taichimusings.blogspot.com/";a2a_onclick=1;Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-3385109296112962712009-05-16T07:50:00.000-07:002009-05-18T09:56:49.494-07:00The Weapon of a ScholarOriginal Post Saturday, October 13, 2007 The days are crisp, time to snuggle in bed and sleep in under warm covers, but I spring out of bed "burr" gathering my warmest clothes and get ready like a kid at Christmas my Saturdays are Christmas.I make my way to the park my sword in my hand a new toy, I puff smoke with my breath into the cold air looking at the dew on the pines my feet making sounds Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-91974676351777257882009-05-16T07:30:00.000-07:002009-05-18T09:57:39.880-07:00Calm FocusWhen doing Taiji many miss the point, we say be soft, be yielding, relaxed. All important things to be but not at the expense of to much yin not enough yang after all this is the constant separation of yin and yang and the study of movement. Yin Sung & Yang Sung in harmoney When doing form expressing softness and flow outwardly while having a calm mind and spirit, be in the moment ready for full Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-81987922778836643172009-05-09T15:56:00.001-07:002009-05-18T09:58:16.134-07:00Cheng Man-Chinga2a_linkname="Tai Chi Musings";a2a_linkurl="http://taichimusings.blogspot.com/";a2a_onclick=1;a2a_show_title=1;a2a_hide_embeds=0;Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-30657622217128250422009-04-18T11:34:00.000-07:002011-01-21T17:33:39.152-08:00Taiji MasteryAlmost everyone doing Taiji wants to in some way master the art. So let us take some time to see what this might consist of in mastery of the art.
First and foremost do not set yourself up for failure, take into account what you are willing to do or how hard you are willing to work to achieve your goal. If you say you want to be like our living masters or even our founders then understand what Francisconoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-70595207497142439672008-12-02T12:30:00.000-08:002009-05-18T09:59:19.963-07:00Leaning Tai Chi From DVDI have been asked many times if there are DVD's people can use to learn taiji at their own pace because they don't always have time to go to class.I have yet to meet a person who has obtained any internal benefit from doing this and most don't have a good grasp of postures or forms.Having said that I am sure there are people in the word who can and have obtained this but they are like a grain of Francisconoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8487343074484884474.post-25178847603784354132008-12-01T12:37:00.000-08:002009-05-18T09:59:48.624-07:00Years of PracticeMany people mark the years they practice taiji and use it as a bench mark for progress of internal understanding, how good they are or should be.Yes years can add some internal but what should be celebrated or marked of greater importance is the perseverance and perseverance will open the door to great things.When I asked a really skilled teacher how long he had practiced he said "It will never Francisconoreply@blogger.com0